Sheet handling apparatus and sheet collecting method

ABSTRACT

A sheet handling apparatus includes a feeding mechanism which is configured to feed a rolled paper to a paper path and a conveying mechanism which is configured to convey the rolled paper along the paper path. The sheet handling apparatus further includes a detecting mechanism which is configured to detect whether the rolled paper is running out, and a control mechanism which is configured to convey an end portion of the rolled paper remaining on the paper path to a collection position when the detecting mechanism detects that the rolled paper is running out.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application No. 2010-49920 filed on Mar. 5, 2010, theentire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a sheet handlingapparatus and a sheet collecting method for use in the sheet handlingapparatus (e.g., a receipt issuing apparatus that issues a receipt bycutting a printed portion of a sheet), which collects a remainingportion of a paper sheet when the paper sheet for printing is runningout.

BACKGROUND

Paper sheet handling devices that are manufactured and used printinformation on a paper sheet and cuts a printed portion from the papersheet to issue as a receipt. Such a paper sheet handling device may beemployed as a receipt printer, for example, in an ATM (Automatic TellerMachine), where a paper roll is provided to be cut to a length that isadapted for a respective receipt. The cut portion of the rolled papermay be printed with some information to be issued as a receipt. Atechnology has been provided which enables the receipt printer with theconfiguration as described above to detect and notify a user that thepaper roll provided for use as a receipt is running out.

For example, a printing device may include a detection unit whichdetects that the paper roll is running out and notifies a user that theprinting operation may be disabled due to the running out of paper.

Unfortunately, even if a user is notified that the paper roll is runningout in such a printing device, an end portion of the paper roll(remaining after a last printed portion is cut) may remain on aconveying path. The remaining end portion of the paper roll has ashorter length than a predetermined length of a receipt, which may causepaper jams on the conveying path.

In this case, the user may not recognize that the end portion of thepaper remains within the printing device while trying to load a newrolled paper to the printing device, which may cause paper jams.Further, when the running out of a paper is detected while the printingis not completed, an end portion of the paper (remaining after the lastprinted portion is cut) remains in the printing device. In some cases,the leading edge of the paper may pop out of an outlet of the printingdevice and the user may attempt to pull out the popped out portion ofthe paper, which includes incomplete information printed thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing an illustrative embodiment ofa receipt issuing device.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an illustrative embodimentof a receipt issuing device.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing an example situation where aleading edge of a paper is erroneously discharged from a receipt issuingdevice.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of paper sheet handlingand collecting operations according to an illustrative embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the receipt issuing device in astate where a leading edge of a paper is being conveyed along aconveying path according to one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the receipt issuing device in astate where a leading edge of a paper is being collected into acollecting container according to one embodiment.

FIG. 7A is a side elevational view of the receipt issuing device in astate where a paper path switching unit connects a paper path R to apaper supply path S while paper is being conveying along the papersupply path during a normal printing operation.

FIG. 7B is a side elevational view of the receipt issuing device in astate where the paper switching unit connects the paper path R to apaper collection path C while the paper is being collected into acollecting container.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the receipt issuing device in astate where a leading edge of a paper is collected into a collectingcontainer according to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to an exemplary embodiment, a paper sheet handling device isprovided. In one embodiment, a sheet handling apparatus includes afeeding mechanism which is configured to feed a rolled paper to a paperpath and a conveying mechanism which is configured to convey the rolledpaper along the paper path. The sheet handling apparatus furtherincludes a detecting mechanism which is configured to detect whether therolled paper is running out, and a control mechanism which is configuredto convey an end portion of the rolled paper remaining on the paper pathto a collection position when the detecting mechanism detects that therolled paper is running out.

Embodiments will now be described in detail with reference to thedrawings. FIG. 1 shows a side elevational view of a receipt issuingdevice according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a receiptissuing device 1 includes a rolled receipt paper 11, a reflectivephoto-sensor 12 configured to detect a paper being conveyed along apaper path R, a transport motor 13 configured to convey the paper alongthe paper path R, a thermal head for rear-surface 15 configured to printdata on a rear surface of the paper, and a platen roller forrear-surface 14 provided to face the thermal head for rear-surface 15.The receipt issuing device 1 further includes a thermal head forfront-surface 17 configured to print data on a front surface of thepaper, a platen roller for front-surface 18 provided to face the thermalhead for front-surface 17, a cutter 19 configured to cut the paper, acutting motor 20 configured to drive the cutter 19, an outlet 21 throughwhich a cut portion of the paper is discharged to the exterior, and acollecting container 22 configured to collect an end portion of thepaper therein.

FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram illustrating one example of anelectrical configuration of the receipt issuing device. As shown in FIG.2, the receipt issuing device 1 includes a CPU 31 configured to controlthe entire operation of the receipt issuing device 1, a ROM 32 to storeoperation programs therein, a RAM 33 to store operation programs orcontrol information therein, and an EEPROM 34 to store operationprograms or control information therein, which are connected to eachother via a bus 30 m. The receipt issuing device 1 further includes anA/D converter 35 configured to convert analog signals provided by thereflective photo-sensor 12 into digital signals, a motor driver 36configured to drive the transport motor 13, a thermal head driver 37configured to drive the thermal head for front-surface 17 and thethermal head for rear-surface 15, a motor driver 38 configured to drivethe cutting motor 20, the reflective photo-sensor 12, and acommunication unit 39 configured to enable communication with anexternal host computer H through a network, which are connected to eachother via the bus 30 m.

In the receipt issuing device 1 with the above-described configuration,an end portion of the paper (remaining after a last printed portion iscut) may remain on a conveying path. The remaining end portion of therolled paper may be shorter in length than a predetermined length of areceipt, which may cause paper jams on the conveying path. Further,occasionally, as shown in FIG. 3, when it is detected that the paper isrunning out and printing is not completed, while the user is not awareof whether the end portion of the paper D remains in the device, aleading edge of the paper D may pop out of an outlet formed on theprinting device and the user may attempt to pull out the paper D, whichincludes incomplete information printed thereon.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a paper sheetcollecting process for use in a paper sheet handling apparatus accordingto one embodiment. Initially, the CPU 31 used as a control mechanismdetects whether the rolled receipt paper 11 is running out (e.g., an endportion of the rolled receipt paper 11 remaining after a last printedportion is cut), based on a signal provided by the reflectivephoto-sensor 12 (Act A11). Upon detection of the running out of therolled receipt paper 11 in Act A11, the CPU 31 measures a length of theremaining end portion of the rolled receipt paper 11, to determinewhether the remaining end portion has enough area for printingpredetermined information (Act A12). In some embodiments, whether theremaining end portion has enough area for printing the predeterminedinformation may be determined by comparing the number of lines orrasters (or raster scans each including a raster graphics image, e.g.,for one line of printable characters) to be printed within the length ofthe end portion with the number of lines or rasters required forprinting the predetermined information. If the determination result inAct A12 is YES, the CPU 31 controls the receipt issuing device 1 toperform a normal printing operation (Act A18). If the determinationresult in Act A12 is NO, the CPU 31 determines that the remaining endportion of the paper should be collected. Thereafter, in Act A13, theCPU 31 controls the motor driver 36 to drive the transport motor 13,thereby allowing the end portion of the paper D to be conveyed along thepaper path R in a reverse direction (indicated by a dashed line arrow B)with respect to a paper feed direction, as shown in FIG. 5.Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 31 controls the motor driver36 to drive the transport motor 13, conveying the end portion of thepaper D along the paper path R into the collecting container 22, whichcollects the end portion of the paper D therein (Act A14).

In some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, a paper path switchingunit 23 may be provided at a location A where the paper path R connectsto a paper supply path S and a paper collection path C. The CPU 31controls the paper path switching unit 23 to connect the paper path R tothe paper supply path S while the paper 11 is being conveying along thepaper supply path S during the normal printing operation, as shown inFIG. 7A. On the other hand, the CPU 31 controls the paper switching unit23 to connect the paper path R to the paper collection path C while thepaper 11 (e.g., the end portion of the paper D) is being collected intothe collecting container 22, as shown in FIG. 7B. For example, the paperpath switching unit 23 may be implemented by a flapper. In this case,the CPU 31 controls a step motor (not shown) to drive the switchingoperation of the flapper.

In one embodiment, Act A12 (i.e., determination of whether the remainingend portion has enough area for printing predetermined information) maybe omitted. In this case, upon detection of the running out of therolled receipt paper 11 in Act A11, the end portion of the paper D maybe collected into the collecting container 22 (Acts A13 and A14).Further, in some embodiments, the collecting container 22 may not beprovided. In this case, in Act A14, the end portion of the paper D maybe retracted to a location from which the rolled receipt paper 11 issupplied for printing (e.g., location A in FIGS. 7A and 7B), so that theuser may manually collect the end portion of the paper D.

Thereafter, the CPU 31 may send a host computer H a message that promptsthe user to load a new rolled receipt paper into the receipt issuingdevice 1, through the communication unit 39 (Act A15). In Act A16, theCPU 31 determines whether the new rolled receipt paper is loaded. If thedetermination result is YES in Act A16, the CPU 31 displays a standbymessage on an operation screen (not shown) or may send the standbymessage to the host computer H (Act A17).

As used in this application, entities for executing the actions canrefer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination ofhardware and software, software, or software in execution. For example,an entity for executing an action can be, but is not limited to being, aprocess running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, athread of execution, a program, and a computer. By way of illustration,both an application running on an apparatus and the apparatus can be anentity. One or more entities can reside within a process and/or threadof execution and an entity can be localized on one apparatus and/ordistributed between two or more apparatuses.

The program for realizing the functions can be recorded in the apparatuscan be downloaded through a network to the apparatus and can beinstalled in the apparatus from a computer readable storage mediumstoring the program therein. A form of the computer readable storagemedium can be any form as long as the computer readable storage mediumcan store programs and is readable by the apparatus such as a disk typeROM and a solid-state computer storage media. The functions obtained byinstallation or download in advance in this way can be realized incooperation with an OS(Operating System) or the like in the apparatus.

As described in the above embodiments, upon detection of the running outof the paper, the receipt issuing device 1 may allow the remaining endportion of the paper D to be retracted in the reverse direction B alongthe paper path R, thereby preventing the user from pulling out the endportion of the paper D (including incomplete printed information) fromthe outlet 21, or preventing the end portion of the paper D from beingpopped out of the receipt issuing device 1. This reduces the chances ofthe leading edge of the incomplete printed paper from being popped outof the receipt issuing device 1, which in turn lowers the chances thatthe user recognizes and takes out the incomplete printed paper. Inaddition, paper jams can be avoided because the remaining end portion ofthe paper is collected before a new rolled receipt paper is loaded.

In the above embodiments, the collecting container 22 is providedupstream from the reflective photo-sensor 12 in the reverse direction B(e.g., through the paper collection path C connecting to the location Awhere the paper path R connects to the paper supply path S, as shown inFIGS. 7A and 7B). Alternatively, a collecting container 22′ may beinstalled downstream from the reflective photo-sensor 12 in the paperfeed direction. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the collectioncontainer 22′ may be provided to connect to the paper path R at alocation A′ through a paper collection path C′.

In this embodiment, a paper path switching unit 23′ may be provided atthe location A′ where the paper path R connects to the paper collectionpath C′. Further, the CPU 31 controls the paper path switching unit 23′to convey the paper 11 to pass through the outlet 21 during the normalprinting operation. On the other hand, the CPU 31 controls the paperswitching unit 23′ to connect the paper path R to the paper collectionpath C′ while the paper 11 (e.g., the end portion of the paper D) isbeing collected into the collecting container 22′. For example, thepaper path switching unit 23′ may be implemented by a flapper. In thiscase, the CPU 31 controls a step motor (not shown) to drive theswitching operation of the flapper.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the disclosures. Indeed, the novel methods and devicesdescribed herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms.Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form ofthe methods and devices described herein may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. The accompanying claims and theirequivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as wouldfall within the scope and spirit of the invention.

1. A sheet handling apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a feedingmechanism which is configured to feed a rolled paper to a paper path; aconveying mechanism which is configured to convey the rolled paper alongthe paper path; a detecting mechanism which is configured to detectwhether the rolled paper is running out; and a control mechanism whichis configured to convey an end portion of the rolled paper remaining onthe paper path to a collection position when the detecting mechanismdetects that the rolled paper is running out.
 2. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the control mechanism includes a determination mechanismwhich is configured to determine whether the end portion of the rolledpaper has an area required for printing predetermined information, uponthe detection by the detection mechanism that the rolled paper isrunning out, and configured to convey the end portion of the rolledpaper along the paper path if the end portion of the rolled paper doesnot have the area required for printing the predetermined information.3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a collecting unitconfigured to collect the end portion of the rolled paper being conveyedalong the paper path to the collection position.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 3, wherein the collecting unit is located downstream of thedetecting mechanism in a direction of feeding the rolled paper.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein the collecting unit is located upstream ofthe detecting mechanism in a direction of feeding the rolled paper. 6.The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a paper path switching unitconfigured to guide the end portion of paper into the collectingcontainer, upon the detection by the detection mechanism that the rolledpaper is running out.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the paperpath switch unit guides the end portion of paper into the collectingcontainer along a paper collection path, the paper collection path beingbranched from the paper path.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a driving unit configured to convey the end portion of therolled paper to the collection position along the paper path in areverse direction with respect to a direction of feeding the rolledpaper, upon detection by the detection mechanism that the rolled paperis running out.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising acommunication unit configured to send to an external device a messagefor prompting a user to load a new rolled paper after the end portion ofthe rolled paper is conveyed to the collection position by the controlmechanism.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism,upon the detection by the detection mechanism that the rolled paper isrunning out, is further configured to retract the end portion of paperto the collection position where the rolled paper is supplied forprinting.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detection mechanismis a reflective photo sensor, and wherein the detection mechanismdetects that the rolled paper is running out by sensing that the endportion of paper is being conveyed through the detection mechanism. 12.A method of handling a paper in a sheet handling device, the methodcomprising: feeding a rolled paper along a paper path by a feedingmechanism; detecting whether the rolled paper is running out by adetection mechanism; and conveying, upon the detection by the detectionmechanism that the rolled paper is running out, an end portion of therolled paper remaining on the paper path to a collection position by acontrol mechanism.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprisingdetermining by the control mechanism, upon the detection by thedetection mechanism that the rolled paper is running out, whether theend portion of the rolled paper has an area required for printingpredetermined information, and conveying the end portion of the rolledpaper along the paper path if the end portion of the rolled paper doesnot have the area required for printing the predetermined information.14. The method of claim 12, further comprising collecting the piece ofpaper conveyed to the collection position into a collecting container.15. The method of claim 14, further comprising guiding by a paper pathswitching unit the end portion of paper into the collecting container,upon the detection by the detection mechanism that the rolled paper isrunning out.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the guiding includesguiding by the paper path switch unit the end portion of paper into thecollecting container along a paper collection path, the paper collectionpath being branched from the paper path.
 17. The method of claim 12,further comprising conveying by the control mechanism the end portion ofthe rolled paper to the collection position along the paper path in areverse direction with respect to a direction of feeding the rolledpaper, upon detection by the detection mechanism that the rolled paperis running out.
 18. The method of claim 12, further comprising sendingto an external device a message for prompting a user to load a newrolled paper after the end portion of the rolled paper is conveyed tothe collection position.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein thedetecting includes detecting the running out of the rolled paper bysensing through a photo sensor that the end portion of paper is beingconveyed through the detection mechanism.
 20. The method of claim 12,wherein the conveying, upon the detection by the detection mechanismthat the rolled paper is running out, includes retracting the endportion of paper to the collection position where the rolled paper issupplied for printing.